Missile cover and method of making the cover

ABSTRACT

A COVER FOR ATTACHMENT ON A DUMMY TRAINING MISSILE PRIOR TO LOADING THE MISSILE INTO A GUN BREECH TUBE HAVING A FIRING PIN AND BREECH FINGERS. A CYLINDRICAL TUBE IS FORMED BY HEATING, DRAWING AND SPINNING A METAL BLANK AROUND A MANDREL OR BY CUTTING OFF A SECTION OF TUBING. ONE END OF THE TUBE IS OPEN AND THE OPPOSITE END IS CLOSED AN INDENTED TO PROVIDE CLEARANCE FOR MOVEMENT OF THE FIRING PIN. A PERIPHERAL FLANGE IS ATTACHED TO THE TUBE AT THE CLOSED END AND AN ANNULAR SLEEVE IS SECURED TO THE TUBE TO FORM AN ANNULAR SLOT BETWEEN THE FLANGE AND THE SLEEVE FOR BREECH FINGER ENGAGEMENT. AN ATTACHMENT RING IS SECURED TO THE CYLINDRICAL TUBE AND A HOOP ADAPTER IS MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT TO THE TUBE. METALLIC AND FLEXIBLE RING SPACERS ARE ALTERNATELY PLACED BETWEEN THE ATTACHMENT RING AND THE ADAPTER TO ALLOW MOVEMENT OF THE ADAPTER WHEN LOADING THE MISSILE INTO THE GUN BREECH TUBE.

Oct. 19, 1971 v. c. MINNICH ETAL 3,613,191

MISSILE COVER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE COVER Filed Dec. 1, 1969 FIG. I

United States Patent 3,613,191 MISSILE COVER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE COVER Violet C. Minnich and Walter J. Krueger, Huntsville,

Ala., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Dec. 1, 1969, Ser. No. 881,031 Int. Cl. 823p 15/22 US. Cl. 291.4 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cover for attachment on a dummy training missile prior to loading the missile into a gun breech tube having a firing pin and breech fingers. A cylindrical tube is formed by heating, drawing and spinning a metal blank around a mandrel or by cutting off a section of tubing. One end of the tube is open and the opposite end is closed and indented to provide clearance for movement of the firing pin. A peripheral flange is attached to the tube at the closed end and an annular sleeve is secured to the tube to form an annular slot between the flange and the sleeve for breech finger engagement. An attachment ring is secured to the cylindrical tube and a hoop adapter is mounted for movement on the tube. Metallic and flexible ring spacers are alternately placed between the attachment ring and the adapter to allow movement of the adapter when loading the missile into the gun breech tube.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the field of missile covers. The present invention replaces the necessity of machine tooling aft covers for missiles by a method of fabricating the cover and hence greatly reduces the cost per cover.

The invention may be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the cover at tached to a missile.

FIG. 2 is a partial section view of the aft cover.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference numeral 1 indicates a cylindrical tube that is a section cut off from tubing or formed from a metal blank that is heated, drawn and spun around a mandrel to size. A closed end 2 is formed and indented at one end of the tube and has a reduced opening 3 therein axially aligned with the tube. A plug 4 is sealed in an opening 3 and a plate 5 closes the iner end of the plug to form a seal against moisture. The closed end is indented from the outer edge of the tube to provide clearance for a firing pin connected with the gun breech, not shown. An annular slot 6 is formed at the end of the cylindrical tube near the closed end for engagement with breech fingers of the gun breech tube. The slot is formed by securing a flange 7 to the closed end and attaching a mounting sleeve 8 to the cylindrical tube at a spaced distance from the flange ring. Both the flange ring and mounting sleeve are attached to the tube by riveting or spotwelding.

An attachment ring 9 is fixed to the tube disposed from the flange ring and is provided with holes 10 to permit screws to pass through to secure the fabricated cover to the missile. An abutment means for engagement with the breech tube consists of a hoop adapter 11 movably mounted on the cylindrical tube by loose engagement with rivets 12. Metal ring spacers 13 are alternately spaced between flexible ring spacers 14 and these spacers are located between attachment ring 9 and adapter 11 to allow movement of the adapter with respect to the cover and with the gun breech tube when loading the missile into the gun breech tube.

We claim:

1. A method of fabricating a cover for engagement on a dummy training missile prior to placing the missile in a gun breech tube having a firing pin and breech fingers comprising: forming a cylindrical tube with an open end; closing and indenting the opposite end to provide clearance for movement of the firing pin; forming an annular slot around said closed end for engagement with the breech fingers by affixing a peripheral flange at the closed end and mounting an annular sleeve near said flange; providing abutment means on said cylindrical tube for engagement with the breech tube by securing an attachment ring to the cylindrical tube, lOOsely mounting a hoop adapter on said cylindrical tube, alternately placing a plurality of metallic and flexible ring spacers between said attachment ring and said adapter to allow movement of said adapter when loading the missile into the gun breech tube.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cylindrical tube is formed by cutting a section of tubing.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cylindrical tube is formed by heating, drawing and spinning a metal blank around a mandrel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,486,194 3/1924 Newcomer 29-1.3 2,397,370 3/1946 Raven et al. 291.3 2,526,146 10/1950 Luft 291.3 X 3,099,958 8/ 1963 Daubenespeck et a1. 291.3 X

FRANK T. YOST, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

